After years of neglect, the Florida Legislature has begun to confront the mental health crisis within the criminal justice system.
Cindee Murphy, a determined advocate for change, expressed some reservation about the progress made: “Well, certainly there wasn’t as much accomplished as I would have liked. But I have really big goals. I think the whole system needs to be fundamentally changed, and that’s not going to happen overnight.”
Murphy’s engagement with lawmakers followed the tragic death of her son Tristin, a diagnosed schizophrenic who took his own life with a chainsaw inside a state prison that had failed to provide adequate treatment. Tristin’s story was the subject of the CBS News Miami documentary, “Warehoused: The Life and Death of Tristin Murphy.”
Reflecting on her experience at the Legislature, Murphy remarked: “When I went up to Tallahassee, at first, I didn’t think that there was going to be anything much accomplished… But I found just the opposite. When I went up there, I found a lot of very caring, compassionate people, who really care about these issues and care about change.”
A notable development this year was the reform of the state’s Baker Act, which permits police and family members to involuntarily commit individuals to psychiatric facilities for 72 hours if they pose a threat to themselves or others. However, the legislation lacked provisions for post-release care, a gap addressed by a measure passed this year requiring follow-up treatment.
Miami-Dade Judge Steve Leifman, a leading advocate for mental health reform, praised this step forward: “It was a very good step in the right direction… I particularly like the idea that there’s required handoffs and treatment for people coming out of that system. Right now, most people just get dropped, and that’s part of the problem.”
Leifman, who has long championed mental health courts, expressed optimism: “It was a good session, the best one I’ve seen in about 15 years for these issues, and the first one in 60 years since the Baker Act was written, to move that system forward.”
Additional funding was allocated to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in Florida. However, the Legislature declined to expand Medicaid, which would extend mental health coverage to nearly a million Floridians.
“I hate that this is a political issue because it shouldn’t be,” Murphy lamented. “It should be what’s in the best interest of our state and what’s in the best interests of the individuals in our state.”
Three years after Tristin’s passing, Murphy continues to advocate for change while caring for his sons, Cody, 16, and Colton, 8. Despite moments of doubt, she remains resolute in her mission: “If this can be a catalyst for change, we can use this to change the system so that they can understand that Tristin’s life had meaning and [his death] accomplished something for other people… if my voice can create change, then I need to keep using my voice no matter how hard it is.”
